Antares looked toward Harunobu and said, "Aren't you asking an obvious question? Although you are very powerful, your alliance with the Land of Water is quite unsettling for us. You might think you can counter us with their support, and that is something we do not want to see. So, we are choosing your youngest brother—the one who hates the Land of Water and refuses to be subservient to anyone. With him, we can build a true alliance. You may think we're trying to use him as a puppet, but we are not. He will not be our puppet; rather, he will be someone genuinely friendly toward us. And through that friendship and alliance, we Uzumaki can increase the growth rate of our Land of Uzumaki."
Harunobu's jaw tightened as Antares spoke. He understood every word, except for the part about the Uzumaki not wanting to use his younger brother as a puppet. That, he scoffed at inwardly. What nonsense. Why would the Uzumaki go to such lengths and then allow Sachinobu to rule freely? He couldn't believe it. The air around him seemed heavier now, pressing against his chest as the realization sank in.
One thing had become painfully clear: he could no longer hope to become Daimyo. From this moment on, his fate lay entirely in the hands of his youngest brother—at his mercy, and his mercy alone.
…
Within half an hour or so, Makima arrived at Harunobu's mansion and made her way to the roof to meet Antares. He was already there, standing silently at the edge, gazing down at the sleeping town below. Makima leapt lightly onto the roof beside him, her presence barely disturbing the quiet.
"Onii-chan, everything has been completed," she said, her voice calm but resolute. "All the forces under Harunobu have been eliminated completely."
Antares turned slightly toward her, his eyes still scanning the town. He nodded slowly. "Good. Now that the middle brother is dealt with, only the Daimyo of the Land of Sea remains."
Makima inclined her head, absorbing his words.
Antares exhaled softly, the sound lost in the whisper of the wind. "We will rest here for today. Tomorrow, we eliminate the Daimyo of the Land of Sea. At the very least, he must be killed for trying to harm our village."
Makima nodded again, the weight of their task settling briefly in her chest.
Not long after, the other fifty-man ninja team arrived at Harunobu's mansion.
Antares did not go to the individual teams of the fifty-man ninja force. Instead, he called over Morishima Yuma and asked directly about the status of the ninjas. Morishima replied without hesitation, "In today's battle, we have suffered ten casualties. Six are injured, and four are dead."
Hearing this, Antares felt little; after all, this force did not belong to him personally. Their deaths were neither an issue nor a cause for grief. He remained composed, his expression unchanged, and said simply, "Very well. You can arrange your forces however you see fit, but keep one thing in mind: let all these ninjas return in sections, not all at once, disguised as ordinary civilians."
By tonight, the Daimyo of the Land of Sea would almost certainly learn of his middle brother's near-death and the complete destruction of his forces. The ninjas under the Daimyo were hardly a threat to Antares, and the other loyalist forces were generally bound to whomever occupied the Daimyo's throne. There was little for him to worry about in that regard.
What mattered now was the task at hand: alongside Sachinobu, he would storm the Daimyo's mansion and kill the ruler of the Land of Sea for daring to conspire against the Uzumaki village. Afterward, Sachinobu would be installed as the new Daimyo, officially taking the throne. Antares already had a precise plan in mind.
After giving his orders to Morishima, he nodded once, turned, and departed, his over coat fluttering faintly in the breeze as he disappeared from view, leaving only a tense silence behind.
Soon, as morning broke, the fifty-man ninja team began leaving the town of Harunobu, making their way back toward the capital. Following Antares' orders, they moved in a careful, sequential manner—some in groups of three or four, others traveling alone—disguised as ordinary civilians, their movements deliberate yet inconspicuous. As for Antares and Makima, their strength allowed them to conceal their presence effortlessly; evading a few weak guards stationed at the gates of the capital of the Land of Sea was scarcely a challenge. There were no exceptionally powerful ninja teams patrolling the city capable of tracking every individual, especially not someone like them. They entered the capital with ease, slipping through unnoticed.
Antares and Makima waited quietly for nightfall, knowing that only under the cover of darkness could they act. Today would be the day the current Daimyo of the Land of Sea was removed from power. Time drifted like a fleeting cloud, and as night finally descended, both Makima and Antares had already reached Sachinobu's mansion. Inside, Sachinobu sat in his study, flanked by Antares, Makima, his advisor Isao, and the commander-in-chief, Morishima Yuma.
Sachinobu's hands fidgeted slightly on the desk; his nerves were palpable. Finally, he was about to assume the position of Daimyo, a role he had long dreamed of. His ambition was on the verge of fulfillment, but along with excitement came a sharp edge of anxiety, a gnawing fear that something might go wrong before his dream could be realized. This is it… everything I've waited for… he thought, heart racing.
Antares and Makima could sense Sachinobu's emotions, yet it mattered little to them. With their strength, they believed nothing and no one could prevent them from removing the current Daimyo and placing Sachinobu on the throne. The tension in the room was almost tangible, but they remained calm, unshaken.
Antares broke the silence, his voice steady and reassuring. "No need to be nervous, and you don't have to fear anything. We will let you take the position of Daimyo—that I promise."
Makima's eyes flicked briefly toward Sachinobu, a faint trace of acknowledgment in her gaze, but otherwise, she remained silent, confident in the inevitability of what was to come. The air seemed to thrum with quiet anticipation, as if the mansion itself were holding its breath for the events of the night.
----
Want to get daily updates and read chapters on a daily basis? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: https://[email protected]/Hkj822
Join Discord Link: https://discord.gg/MXPrVTBM